Impact of Water Management Policies on Volatility Transmission in the Energy Sector

Abstract

Purpose: This study evaluates the impact of the water management policies of energy companies on their volatility interactions with energy commodities. Design/methodology: We tested for volatility transmissions between 66 energy funds and fossil-fuel commodities. After identifying possible integrations, we investigated whether water management policies, after controlling for other fund characteristics, impact the probability of integration. Results: Our findings indicate strong volatility transmission from oil prices to energy funds. However, a reverse of this information flow was not observed. From the perspective of natural gas, we found strong bi-directional integration with energy funds. When we analyzed the influence of fund characteristics on the previously established integrations, water management policies do not impact the probability of the integration of oil. However, these policies are shown to have a significant influence on integration with the natural gas market. Originality/value: While there are multiple studies that show the integration between energy companies and corresponding commodities, according to our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates the significance of water management policies with respect to volatility integration. This study highlights the importance of water-related policies with respect to the susceptibility of energy firms to volatility contagion from the natural gas market.